POLITICAL COLUMN

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If Obama was not attempting to excuse the statements of Wright, he was certainly attempting to put them in context.
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Barack Obama spoke calmly and reasonably Tuesday about a subject that often lacks both calm and reason in America: race.

Obama’s speech was temperate and built on logic, not fiery or built on passion.

It was meant to be calming. It was a speech that attempted to connect the dots of race in American history from slavery to Jim Crow to black anger, to white fear, to, ultimately, the hope of reconciliation.

Where it was strongest was in appealing to the better angels of the American spirit: the notion that we can all come together.

Where it was weakest was in explaining the very reason for the speech: how the inflammatory, even repugnant, comments of Obama’s pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, are understandable.

Wright, who has been Obama’s pastor for 20 years, has said America had brought on the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — “America’s chickens are coming home to roost” — and that “We started the AIDS virus.”

Without citing such statements specifically, Obama sought to explain them, though he first condemned them. Speaking in slow, measured tones, Obama said Wright used “incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation, that rightly offend white and black alike.”

But, for the first time, Obama admitted what he previously had denied: that he was present when Wright had made some of his outrageous comments.

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“Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church?” Obama said. “Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely — just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.”

Obama did not say, however, that he had ever expressed his disagreement to Wright or in any way attempted to get Wright to moderate or change his views.

Instead, Obama said Wright was “more than snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and YouTube.”

Obama mentioned once again that Wright was a “Marine” and “has studied and lectured at some of the finest universities and seminaries in the country” and has spent his time “housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing day care services and scholarships and prison ministries, and reaching out to those suffering from HIV/AIDS.”

Obama also said, in effect, that some white people simply don’t get black churches.

“They are full of dancing, clapping, screaming and shouting that may seem jarring to the untrained ear,” Obama said. “The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love and, yes, the bitterness and bias that make up the black experience in America.”

It was the key to his speech and his toughest sell: that the black experience in America has been different from the white experience and that white people have to expect the “bitterness and bias” of black people while recognizing their own history of white racism.

Readers' Comments (1183)

NOT THIS TIME...NOT THIS TIME... I WILL NO LONGER BE DISTRACTED by OBAMAS DECEPTION and RHETORIC. This man is unbelievable, he gave a speech that basically said ......America this is your fault because you haven't dealt with race issues. He said and more concerning he believes it was okay to support a racist church for 20 years through action and financial funding as long as that church felt it had been wronged. Is this to mean that we should now start defending KKK members because after all as he says they "contain within them the contradictions - the good and the bad - of the community they have served for so many years." The black community would be up in arms if we started to defend the KKK and their remarks the way he is defending the hate that was being pushed by Pastor Wright. We know he sees Pastor Wright as family, we understand that we all have family members who have issues. For example if you have a cousin that is a drug addict...you ...Love them, pray for them, talk to them.... you treat them like family.... HOWEVER, you DON'T hang around him and his friends because you know that what they are doing and promote is WRONG. He could of dealt with Pastor Wright the same way. There are hundreds of churches in Chicago, but he chose this one for a reason, he obviously feels comfortable around that rhetoric and hateful speech. Which brings us to another issue he has gone back and forth about whether he knew what was being said in church. He has shown a consistent patter of telling UNTRUTHS and his CHARACTER is now in question. I can no longer trust that he is telling America the truth?because he seems to change his story based on politics. OBAMA IS A FAILURE WHEN IT COMES TO STANDING UP FOR THE TOUGH ISSUES. If he really wanted to be a Uniter then he would stop attending a RACIST, SEPARTIST CHURCH AND STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY HATE TOWARDS AMERICA , WHITES , JEWS and let's not FORGET BLACK REPUBLICANS. He continues to fail to realize that all this commotion is about.... HIS FLAWED JUDGMENT....HIS FAILURE TO TELL THE TRUTH.....HIS FAILURE TO ACCEPT THAT HE WAS WRONG TO CONTINUE TO SIT IN THAT CHURCH FOR 20 YEARS AND HELP PROMOTE THAT KIND OF HATE AND ANTI-AMERICAN sentiment. His unwillingness to see this only confirms that when push comes to shove he will focus on his allegiance to Black leaders and NOT America. I also come from a large family blessed to be of all ethnic backgrounds. We are Black, We are Hispanic, We are White, We are Asian, We are German. We, however, refuse to accept that it is OK to promote hatred and bigoted ways simply because somewhere in the last 200 years we have been wronged. We also refuse to continue to promote this cycle of hate in our children by taking them to a church that promotes sentiments that will only severely jade them and deprive them of hope. Instead we choose to take them to a church that is accepting of everyone and shows this acceptance through action and words by not promoting hate of any race ...whether black, white, or whether Jewish, catholic, Baptist. Etc. Obama is an eloquent speaker but he fails miserably when it comes to seeing what is right in front of him. I was hoping that he would finally address HIS issues and not deflect and point the finger at someone else. Some sincere honesty would have been refreshing....instead we got the a speech with the PHONEY political strategy behind it

If Politico.com can’t help Obama talk his way out of this means dude is really in big trouble! The “I am both black and white just is not going to cut it.” Its just unrealistic to think a passionate speech that ignore the reason why he had to make the speech in the first place is going to make amends for his 20 plus years of tolerance of the good Rev. ant- American hate speech. It’s not going to happen……what are all the Obama groupies going to do with themselves now? He was their only purpose in life. Not good!

I think the Obama speech was an interesting one. Considering the times in which we are now faced with. “A reality that we are still prejudice, but not totally racist,” is an interesting and refreshing concept.

I think the Obama speech was an interesting one. Considering the times in which we are now faced with. “A reality that we are still prejudice, but not totally racist,” is an interesting and refreshing concept.

As usual no one even listens, including the author of this article. He didn't excuse anything, he didn't say they were ok, he said they were part of a larger problem of racial divisiveness in this country. If you've abandoned every friend or family member who said something that the majority of people would find offensive that I bet you are one lonely person. Once again, Barack came out showed courage, unlike Hilary who would've swept this under the rug, and attempted to frame the controversy into what really matters. Bravo.

chulanow, I'm confused, two weeks ago you Republicans were accusing him of being a radical Muslim, now he's a radical Christian??? If you guys keep flip-flopping on your scare tactics the majority of this nation will stop believing you. Oh, that's right, the majority already knows you are full of crap. Good luck with coming up with new scare tactics to use against President Obama in 2012, and have fun with your 33% Republican minority.

Obama gave a speech that clearly recognized the anger and frustration of BOTH the White community and the Black community, and pointed to the need to coalesce against the common enemy--against those who represent greed, injustice and corruption in our society. Your commentary is strongly biased, clearly attempting to portray Obama's speech merely as an apology for Black anger, ignoring the majority of his address, and the core of his campaign. Shame on you.

Obama's speech fell as flat as a pancake. He flat out lied to the American people about his knowledge of Wright's anti-American, anti-white racist hate from the pulpit and Obama's speech was a CYA speech.

Nice delivery, as usual, but a speech that will not excuse his 20+ year relationship with his chosen Uncle Jeremiah Wright and the actions of doing nothing in the face of the unGodly, racist, anti-American rhetoric that Jeremiah Wright has been spewing for years. Obama's actions, or lack thereof, speak louder than his 30 minuters of words read off a teleprompter this morning.

Obama lied to the American people. He is a proven liar. Totally UNBECOMING of a Presidential candidate.

Roger that is your opinion, but I strongly disagree, this speech was called for and perhaps should have come earlier, people I have spoke to so far are impressed, they feel it has answered doubts which had been touted mainly by the Clinton camp and some in the media. Can you please tell us how many speeches Hilary has made, which answers points of doubt about her? - she has made some comments about Iraq and that seems to a flip situation for her every other day. The speech from Barack Obama came from the heart and always presented in a way our Country would be proud of from a possible future President, Barack was writing this speech until 2am, not a script writer, yes some help and he does not have to read from a script. I and many others feel now some sections of the media in desperation are looking for every fault they can find in Barack Obama, often without justification but they never seem to question anyhting from Hilary or her campaign team which is making the Democratic race a laughing stock in parts of the world, we forget the world watches us and like may more Voters all the time here in the USA they do not like what they see from Hilary and her strategy. It's time to start asking some serious questions of Hilary!

Mr. Simon, it is not only obvious that you are white but that you didn't listen to Obama's speech. First, Obama did NOT say that he was present when Rev. Wright made the specific comments that he's being criticized for. He said that he had been in church and heard the Rev. say things that he disagreed with, as many of us had when sitting in church. HOW DARE YOU take this out of context. You should be ashamed. Furthermore, I'm not sure how it is Obama's responsibility to explain how the Rev. Wright feels and what caused him speak his inflammatory comments. But he addressed them sufficiently, explaining to the best of his ability a racial divide that you are clearly blind to. There is anger in the black community and has been for a long time. Rev. Wright embodies that historic black anger, and Obama embodies the peaceful path to which that anger can be directed. How dare you misconstrue his comments. I'm shocked that your usually fair site would even allow you to post this.

I disagree. I don't think he needed to explain the reason for the speech or why the comments by his pastor was so inflamatory. There are just some things you leave unsaid as unnecessary. As a white person I was not upset by the remarks. But, I know many whites are shocked or scared by them and so take it out on Obama, guilt by association. Of course many whites are rejecting him over this because they already rejected Obama outright long ago because they support HRC or are far right. Some because the cable news has discussed it and rendered him guilty by association, unfairly, for 5 days on an endless loop rather than broadening the discussion to include the black experience. However, I found the speech to be extremely powerful and Obama presidential.

It was a great speech. Best I've ever hear anyone talk about race in America. Forget about the elections. Yes, it did explain him attending the church. He did exactly what he needed to do. This is a great start to address a problem. I was deeply moved and have a lot to think about. This was excellent. My republican parents think so too.

People who want to understand -understood the speech people who do not want to understand- they did not even care. It is just that - his supporters were little carried away (like me)- this speech will just get those supporters back- and even stronger than before. This speech is not going to convert Hillary Supporters and Mccain supporters to his supporters... They are not going to vote for him anyway...his job is to not to loose his supporters for such stupid reasons...and that is what his speech is going to do..The rest will keep criticizing him..

To Mr. Simon and the rest of you who JUST DON'T GET IT: you just don't get it, so please, just get over it and go on being just the same way you are right now for the rest of your lives, while the REST OF US CHANGE THIS COUNTRY, right now, this time! You are not adding anything of value to our society.